Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Chapter 108
Chapter 109
Chapter 110
Chapter 111
Chapter 112
Chapter 113
Chapter 114
Chapter 115
Chapter 116
Chapter 117
Chapter 118
Chapter 119
Chapter 120
Chapter 121 - Portrait Of Titus (2)
Chapter 122 - Visitor From The Desert (1)
Chapter 123 - Visitor From The Desert (2)
Chapter 124 - Visitor From The Desert (3)
Chapter 125 - Visitor From The Desert (4)
Chapter 126 - Rookie Of Boston Red Sox (1)
Chapter 127 - Rookie Of Boston Red Sox (2)
Chapter 128 - Buddhist Scripture Written With Gold (1)
Chapter 129 - Buddhist Scripture Written With Gold (2)
Chapter 130 - Buddhist Scripture Written With Gold (3)
Chapter 131 - Chaebol, Painting, And Happy Tears (1)
Chapter 132 - Chaebol, Painting, And Happy Tears (2)
Chapter 133 - Chaebol, Painting, And Happy Tears (3)
Chapter 134 - Enemies Are Everywhere (1)
Chapter 135 - Enemies Are Everywhere (2)
Chapter 136 - More Paintings (1)
Chapter 137 - More Paintings (2)
Chapter 138 - To Florence, Italy… (1)
Chapter 139 - To Florence, Italy… (2)
Chapter 140 - To Florence, Italy… (3)
Chapter 141 - People Who Are After The Masterpiece (1)
Chapter 142 - People Who Are After The Masterpiece (2)
Chapter 143 - People Who Are After The Masterpiece (3)
Chapter 144 - The Medici And The Aristocrats (1)
Chapter 145 - The Medici And The Aristocrats (2)
Chapter 146 - The Medici And The Aristocrats (3)
Chapter 147 - The Medici And The Aristocrats (4)
Chapter 148 - The Medici And The Aristocrats (5)
Chapter 149 - Drawings In The Charity Auction (1)
Chapter 150 - Drawings In The Charity Auction (2)
Chapter 151 - Drawings In The Charity Auction (3)
Chapter 152 - Drawings In The Charity Auction (4)
Chapter 153 - Drawings In The Charity Auction (5)
Chapter 154 - Now, To London… (1)
Chapter 155 - Now, To London… (2)
Chapter 156 - Now, To London… (3)
Chapter 157 - Now, To London… (4)
Chapter 158 - Seeing The Light Again (1)
Chapter 159 - Seeing The Light Again (2)
Chapter 160 - Seeing The Light Again (3)
Chapter 161 - Seeing The Light Again (4)
Chapter 162 - Uninvited Guest (1)
Chapter 163 - Uninvited Guest (2)
Chapter 164 - Uninvited Guest (3)
Chapter 165 - Uninvited Guest (4)
Chapter 166 - Dark Shadow (1)
Chapter 167 - Dark Shadow (2)
Chapter 168 - Dark Shadow (3)
Chapter 169 - Change And Progress (1)
Chapter 170 - Change, And Progress (2)
Chapter 171 - Change, And Progress (3)
Chapter 172 - Appraiser Talks Through Appraising (1)
Chapter 173 - Appraiser Talks Through Appraising (2)
Chapter 174 - Appraiser Talks Through Appraising (3)
Chapter 175 - Appraiser Talks Through Appraising (4)
Chapter 176 - Appraiser Talks Through Appraising (5)
Chapter 177 - Inheritance Left By The Parents (1)
Chapter 178 - Inheritance Left By The Parents (2)
Chapter 179 - Inheritance Left By The Parents (3)
Chapter 180 - Inheritance Left By The Parents (4)
Chapter 181 - Star Appraiser (1)
Chapter 182 - Star Appraiser (2)
Chapter 183 - Star Appraiser (3)
Chapter 184 - Terms Of Return Of Artifacts (1)
Chapter 185 - Terms Of Return Of Artifacts (2)
Chapter 186 - Terms Of Return Of Artifacts (3)
Chapter 187 - Terms Of Return Of Artifacts (4)
Chapter 188 - Terms Of Return Of Artifacts (5)
Chapter 189 - Artifact From North Korea (1)
Chapter 190 - Artifact From North Korea (2)
Chapter 191 - Artifact Match (1)
Chapter 192 - Artifact Match (2)
Chapter 193 - Artifact Match (3)
Chapter 194 - Artifact Match (4)
Chapter 195 - Artifact Match (5)
Chapter 196 - What Happened In Austria (1)
Chapter 197 - What Happened In Austria (2)
Chapter 198 - What Happened In Austria (3)
Chapter 199 - What Happened In Austria (4)
Chapter 200 - Bait To Catch The Big Fish (1)
Chapter 201 - Bait To Catch The Big Fish (2)
Chapter 202 - What The Depressed Man Left (1)
Chapter 203 - What The Depressed Man Left (2)
Chapter 204 - Where The Faith Leads Him To (1)
Chapter 205 - Add Painting To Painting (1)
Chapter 206 - Add Painting To Painting (2)
Chapter 207 - Add Painting To Painting (3)
Chapter 208 - Finally, To There… (1)
Chapter 209 - Finally, In There… (2)
Chapter 210 (End) - Epilogue
Categories Genre: All, Completed, Fantasy, Supernatural Status: Completed ______
Total Chapters in book: 210
Estimated words: 468205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2341(@200wpm)___ 1873(@250wpm)___ 1561(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 468205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2341(@200wpm)___ 1873(@250wpm)___ 1561(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 210 Page No. 209 Page No. 208 Page No. 207 Page No. 206 Page No. 205 Page No. 204 Page No. 203 Page No. 202 Page No. 201 Page No. 200 Chapter 63
Chapter 63: Zwiebelmuster (1)
“Mr. Vice Chairman, why are you…”
Next to Sungjun, he could see Eunhae, Hyoyeon and a few attendants, who appeared to be the board
members of Hwajin. Apparently, they bought the tickets in advance.
“Why am I here? This is a chance to see Picasso’s painting! There are too many people here, but
there’s nothing I can do about it.”
As he said, Haejin could see some people glancing at Sungjun’s group. However, most people didn’t
care much and were busy enjoying the paintings and the celadons.
“Haha, really? Then, I hope you have a great time.”
Haejin tried to leave with that, but Sungjun didn’t let him go.
“Are you busy? Aren’t you going to offer me a cup of tea? It’s been a while after all.”
Haejin thought about saying no, but he decided to confront him. He didn’t have any excuse to turn
Sungjun down.
“Of course. Please, come to my office.”
A staff saw Sungjun and was greatly surprised. She brought them tea with shaky hands. She was still
young and, as the vice chairman, which she had only seen on TV, was right in front of her, her shock
was understandable.
“Do you know that apart from the stars and politicians, you are the person who gets the most attention
these days?”
“If we exclude the stars and the politicians, I am not that great.”
“Really? You seem to not feel your fame.”
“My employees are feeling it instead, by answering calls from the reporters.”
“I see. Well, let me ask you what those reporters want to know the most. Where did you get that
Picasso?”
Sungjun’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Haejin, however, looked away.
“Oh, my father left it to me as the inheritance. I was so shocked at first…”
“Your father left it to you? Are you serious?”
Sungjun couldn’t believe it. Haejin wouldn’t have believed it, either. However, that didn’t matter.
If the painting had been bought decades ago, things would be different. However, if it had been
bought recently, the Spanish government would check its authenticity and ask how Haejin got it.
The museum opened today, so the articles about it would be on Spanish newspapers. So, if the
source of Haejin’s painting was not clear, the people of Spain would argue that they have to reclaim
that painting.
To avoid that, Haejin had to say that his father had brought it decades ago.
“Of course. I’m telling the truth. I was so shocked… once I saw it, I just couldn’t keep it to myself. So, I
decided to open a museum. It is too good to be enjoyed by only one person.”
“Huh…”
Sungjun crossed his arms as if he couldn’t believe it. However, there was nothing he could find out, so
he gave up and came up with a different topic.
“I came here today myself to see the Picasso painting, but for another reason as well. I guess you
already know it?”
It had to be about the buddha, of course. However, even Vice Chairman Lim Sungjun of Hwajin, who
was almost the most powerful man in Korea, was not almighty.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot give you the buddha. Not for money, not for any other artifact. Never…”
Sungjun’s face started to turn red as Haejin openly rejected him even before he could talk about it.
This had never happened to him before. Being ignored even before saying something…
“I didn’t say anything.”
“If it wasn’t about the buddha, I’m sorry. I thought it had to be about the buddha which Mr. Lee
Jongmyeong of Mirae wanted. Then please, go on.”
“Khmm…”
Sungjun coughed and shut his mouth. One of the board members, an old one, realized the vice
chairman was in bad mood and yelled at Haejin with glaring eyes.
“What are you doing! Huh? Mr. Vice Chairman hasn’t even said anything.”
“So, I told him I was sorry, didn’t I?”
“What?”
“And, what kind of manner is it to interrupt our conversation? Is this how you work in Hwajin?
Interrupting others while the Vice Chairman speaks?”
The old board member had never heard anything like this. He just blinked. Haejin wasn’t wrong, so he
couldn’t counter.
“I’m sorry. He talks carelessly when he gets mad.”
Sungjun didn’t like the situation and uncomfortably apologized instead. The old board member was
clearly older than Sungjun, so it was a little funny.
“Sir…”
“Please, enough. You are too old to argue with such a young fellow.”
“Yes, but…”
Sungjun realized that he was getting nowhere by getting mad, so he changed his strategy.
“Please understand. Hmm… so, you cannot give me the buddha. In fact, I am here for that. But, why
can’t you give it to me?”
Sungjun was now being honest. It made it easier for Haejin to talk.
“Do you want the other buddha inside it?”
At that moment, Sungjun froze. He didn’t think Haejin would know that.
It didn’t have anything to do with appraising skills. It was about finding a treasure hidden inside the
buddha, so Sungjun had thought although Haejin was a great appraiser, he would never be able to
find out what was inside.
“Khmm… you knew.”
Sungjun moaned. He really wanted that buddha.
“I was lucky.”
“Are you mocking me? Luck?”
“Lee Jongmyeong was so obsessed with the buddha that I thought it was strange. I couldn’t find out
why he would buy it, giving up a painting from Park Sugon and an additional billion.”
“What’s this about Park Sugon’s painting? Anyway, he tried to trade it for the buddha?”
Sungjun wiped his forehead.
“Yes. So, even a child would have realized that there was something else about that buddha.”
“Hmm…”
Sungjun didn’t say anything, but he was cursing Jongmyeong quietly, like ‘that idiot took care of it like
that…’
“It was so strange that I kept examining that buddha. Then, I recalled the article about Buddhist
scripture being found inside a buddha statue. So, I immediately did a 3D-CT test. There was a very
small metal inside it.”
Sungjun couldn’t say anything. He stared at the empty wall of the office for a long time. Then,
Hyoyeon, who had just been watching, started speaking.
“Why don’t you give it up? You think you can run a museum after becoming an enemy of Hwajin? No
one would buy a painting from here after today.”
Even Sungjun was surprised and looked at her. However, she was confident. Additionally, no board
member stopped her.
“What are you talking about? Apologize immediately!”
Sungjun made her apologize, which she reluctantly did.
“I’m sorry.”
It was funny. They were playing the good cop and bad cop thing. Sungjun told his daughter to
apologize, but he didn’t tell her to take back what she said.
It meant her threat was exactly what he wanted to say.
“Then do it. I don’t have to sell paintings, anyway.”
This made the temperature of the room drop, even more than Hyoyeon’s threat. Sungjun frowned for
the first time.
“Please forget about what she said. She is still a child.”
Haejin wondered if he really thought so.
“I think she has learned enough and has matured enough. This is also a private museum. You came
here to tell me that you won’t let me sell paintings… what are you doing? Plus, I asked for the
buddha’s registration to the Cultural Heritage Administration yesterday. They will send someone
soon.”
After that, Sungjun couldn’t keep asking for the buddha. He couldn’t mess with an artifact that had
been officially registered to the government.
“Khmm… you should have told me this earlier… anyway, my daughter already apologized. Why don’t
we move on now?”
Haejin wanted to continue scolding them, but he would gain nothing by doing so. Therefore, he
decided to stop.
“Okay. I will just think that nothing happened with the buddha.”
“I will think so, too.”
Sungjun seemed to have decided to end it there. He would gain nothing if they talked more.
Next, Sungjun and his people left. Eunhae was the only one remaining.
“Shouldn’t you go with them?”
“He wouldn’t care, anyway. He won’t be able to hear anything because of that buddha. However, are
you really going to be okay? My uncle said it as if he would let you get away with it, but his men won’t.
They will surely try to stop the people from buying your paintings.”
“I don’t care. I can run this place without selling paintings.”
“The rent fee for this place is ten million per month. Additionally, with the salaries of the employees
and the rent fee, you will have to spend a lot every month. You sure you will be okay without selling
paintings?”
This is why they say the owner of the building is mightier than the creator. However, Haejin didn’t
have to worry. Thanks to the celadons from the treasure ship in Taean and the oil paintings, including
Picasso, he was earning millions every day just by selling tickets.
Of course, the number of Korean visitors would decrease over time, but foreigners would keep
coming.
This place was about to be one of the mandatory tourist spots in Korea.
However, despite Eunhae’s worries, celebrities kept offering him to buy paintings.
Monet’s painting didn’t even have a price tag, but someone demanded Haejin to sell it to him, saying
he could give him a billion right away.
Hwajin probably thought that pressing Haejin like that would be of no help to it.
So, the museum opened with great success like that, and the visitors kept flooding in even after a
week. Because of the previous visitors’ word of mouth, it was hard to get tickets.
Great VIPs also arrived. Businessmen, politicians and even stars.
The most surprising visitor of all didn’t belong to one of those categories.
“It’s been a long time.”
The white man with curly hairs was wearing comfortable clothes just like a tourist. He still had that
buttery smile.
“I thought it was possible, but I didn’t know you would really come.”
It was Eric Holton who had given Kim Hongdo’s painting to Haejin as a gift. Haejin had sent an
invitation to him when he opened the museum, but he didn’t expect him to come.
“However, why haven’t you exhibited the painting I gave you?”
“Showing all at once is no fun.”
Eric nodded and looked around. He seemed to look for someone.
“Are you looking for someone?”
“The lady who was with you. Where is she?”
“Haha, she is in Saeyeon Gallery, it is nearby.”
“Then, you didn’t open this place with her?”
“Yes. Why? Do you want to meet her?”
“It would be good but, since she’s not here, there’s nothing I can do. Today’s beautiful lady is not alive,
anyway. It is awesome. How did you get a Picasso? I read the articles on my way here, but I couldn’t
believe that.”
Haejin had told the same excuse he had used on Sungjun for the reporters.
“I’ll tell you later. Let’s go in first.”
Haejin was going to have some tea or something with Eric, but he waved his hand.
“Why would I leave a place like this? Anyway, are you busy these days?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you, of course.”
“Haha, it’s just you suddenly asked my schedule. No, I’m not busy at all.”
“Really? Then, can you leave your museum for a while?”
“Well… my employees do all the work, and I am not needed for now. I can leave this place for a few
days.”
“Then, let’s go somewhere.”
“Where?”
“Hong Kong.”
“Hong Kong?”
Haejin had just come back with both good and bad memories from his last trip to Hong Kong, so
going back felt slightly strange.
“Yes. You know how to appraise porcelains, right?”
“Well…”
“Not Asian porcelains, European porcelains. I need you to take a look at one of them.”
Total Chapters in book: 210
Estimated words: 468205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2341(@200wpm)___ 1873(@250wpm)___ 1561(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 468205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 2341(@200wpm)___ 1873(@250wpm)___ 1561(@300wpm)
______